farmscrapers
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WHAT WAS ONCE planted in the ground is now being grown in what could rightfully be described as towering greenhouses with self-contained ecosystems designed to produce food .”
“ Rotation is powered by a unique , patented , hydraulic , water- driven system which utilizes the momentum of flowing water and gravity to rotate the troughs ,” Sky Green states on its website , and that it only requires 40W of electricity to power one of these towers . This minimal use of electricity is due to its remarkably efficient design, which uses 90 per cent less water than traditional farming methods by employing a flooding method rather than a sprinkler system. “ Only 0.5 liters of water is required to rotate the 1.7-ton verti- cal structure ,” the company states . “ The water is contained in an enclosed underground reservoir system and is recycled and reused .” In August 2015 , the company and its founder , Jack Ng , were one of five recipients of the INDEX : Award 2015 , the world ’ s biggest design award . As the second densest nation on Earth , Singapore is in desper- ate need of new ways to feed its residents and given the success of Sky Green , these buildings may one day be commonplace .
FARMS OF THE FUTURE
Urban farming is proving to be an exciting new frontier that is still in its infancy , but as the methodology evolves and lighting costs drop , growers will see a marked increase in efficiency and crop yield . According to Despommier , LED lights were only 20 per cent efficient a few years ago but are now operating at a 60 per cent efficiency level . With the utilization of clean technology like solar panels and geothermal energy , operating costs for urban farmers will only decrease in the coming years . In a 2009 interview with Scientific American , Despommier estimated that a 30-storey building covering one square city block could produce a harvest equal to that of a 2,400-acre horizontal farm . Despommier also argues that vertical farming is a superior method in when juxtaposed with the negative impact that traditional farming imparts on the environment .
ENVIRONMENTAL DRAWBACKS TO CONVENTIONAL FARMING :
• The high cost of fossil fuels required to plow , plant , harvest , store , ship , and refrigerate produce .
• The loss of and damage to produce incurred during shipping leading to waste and increased consumer cost .
• Twenty per cent of fossil fuel usage and 70 per cent of water consumption goes into producing food .
• Conventional agriculture heavily relies on synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides , which not only has serious impacts on public health but also on the environment in its contamination of streams and groundwater .
• Air quality is affected by the fossil fuels burned to bring a harvest to the table .
• Labor and transportations costs translate to higher consumer prices .
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